Of Hearts and Explosions
by Kat Lee formerly Pirate Turner
Summary: Rico and King Julien sneak away into the night again on a very special occasion.  Slash.  Holiday fic.


Title: "Of Hearts and Explosions"  
>Author: Pirate Turner<br>Rating: PG  
>Summary: Rico and King Julien sneak away into the night again on a very special occasion.<br>Warnings: Slash, Established Pairing  
>Word Count: 1,165<br>Date Written: 2 December, 2010  
>Disclaimer: Rico, King Julien, all other characters mentioned within, and the Penguins of Madagascar are &amp; TM DreamWorks, not the author; are used without permission; and may not be used without permission. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.<p>They snuck away into the night and met in the shadows of the rising Winter sun. They had to keep their feelings to the deep, dark, and quiet corners of their world for they knew their friends would never understand. They had been down that path before, as well as the jubilant, amazing world of being together, and both had almost destroyed them. Since then, they had met very little, but this was one of the most special nights of the year and they had to see each other.<p>

They met underneath a freshly vomited sprig of mistletoe, and after a brief, swift peck on the cheek, which was, sadly, the most passionate kiss they dared to give each other lest the explosions that they created together again called their names, they awkwardly shuffled back and forth.

The male in the tuxedo made the first move. He swept, from his mouth of wonders, a brand new hat, and his partner screeched his delight before capturing his big, hairy mouth with both hands. They looked all around each other and then grinned. No one had heard them! They were safe - at least, so far!

The King took his hat from the penguin whom he would have once considered a mere peasant, though never again; tossed his old crown to the side; and proudly propped the new crown onto his head. "'Tis much more fitting for a King of my stature, don't you think?" he whispered softly to which his partner eagerly bobbed his head and quacked in agreement.

"And I . . . I usually do not give presents. The King really doesn't get into all the present giving, you know, because, well, he's the King and every one gives to him instead of vice versa and all that, buuuuut . . . " Julien trailed off momentarily as he watched his lover's beak pull downwards into a pout. He then grasped his flippers in his hands and gazed directly up into his eyes which still made his own eyes feel full of stars. "For you, you handsome, exploding devil you, I had to make an exception!"

The penguin's happy eyes grew large and then almost shot out of his head with joy at the sight of the huge stack Julien pulled around from somewhere behind his back. It was bright red and wrapped in a glistening bow, but Rico couldn't wait to get that bow off! He quacked happily as began to unwrap the biggest stash of dynamite he'd ever seen come from anywhere other than his stomach!

Julien sniffed as he realized that he'd not get to see his love play with his brand new toy. "All I ask," he said, his ring tail tucking sadly between his legs, "is that when you explode it, you think of me."

Rico caught sight of his dearest friend's tears and quacked urgently. A spew of language that would have been absolutely undecipherable to most of the world's smartest minds spilled from his beak, but Julien understood every word. By the time Rico had finished talking, the King's sadness was a thing of the past, and a huge grin spread over his furry face. "You do?" he asked, his heart, body, and soul all atingle. "You really do?"

"Huh huh," Rico affirmed, bobbing his head. Who else would he think of with every new explosion he created? No one had ever understood him, or his need to explode things, like his beloved Julien! Skipper kept him on a tight leash. Kowalski had been scared of him since the last time he'd nearly brought the zoo down single-flipperedly, and Private . . . Well, Private was sweet, but when all things were said and done, Private was still just Private.

It was Julien who truly understood him, Julien who stroked his fire in more ways than one, and Julien who allowed him to be the penguin he really craved being. It was Julien who granted him the power to do anything that would make him happy and everything that he longed to do - and that he was strictly forbidden from doing while in the commandos.

He craved Julien's companionship, understanding, and love. There wasn't a day or night that went by that he didn't think of him, and yet he had to force himself to stay away for he knew that no one would ever understand them, their special connection, and especially not their love. "Julien - " he squawked.

"Yessss?" Julien prompted, leaning up on his tip toes and gazing into Rico's eyes with stars in his own, big eyes.

Rico answered by grabbing his hand, running, and hollering an entire spew of words that, despite their strange oddities, Julien understood completely. His grin grew even wider and sparkled across his face. "Yes, let us do it!" he cried, pushing his fisted paw into the open, twilight air and jerking his tail wildly. No one was up yet, and most every one was still exhausted from last night's Kidsmas party.

They should be able to get away with one explosion, but of course, what was meant to be one explosion turned out to be a humongous one that nearly sent the zoo into outer space. The couple laughed as explosions shot off all around them. The ground shook beneath their feet, and they fell into one another's arms. They gazed lovingly into each other's eyes and then looked up as the grandest explosions skyrocketed.

Rico smiled as he held Julien close to his heart. No one would ever understand the games of explosions and why they endeared to him so like Julien. No one would ever understand _him_ like his King, and no one would ever love him like the lemur who had captured his very soul not with force but with understanding, compassion, and love.

"Ooo! Ah! Aaaaawwwwww!"

Julien's cries had been even more pleasure to Rico's ears than the actual explosions themselves. He looked up now to see the letters he'd created still glistening in the air before slowly beginning to fade. The message that he loved Julien might fade from sight, but it would never fade from their hearts. "Merry Kidsmas," Rico murmured as his eyes dropped back down to gaze lovingly at Julien.

Julien sniffed. "That was the best Julienmas present any one's ever given me!" he exclaimed. "Every one should love the King!" Unwilling to let go of Rico's flippers that he clutched in his hands, King Julien dabbed at the tears dripping from his eyes with the tip of his bushy, ringed tail.

"Yup," Rico agreed with a nod, "but no one ever wuv you like I wuv you." Then he kissed him a scant second before the bells went off and they were forced to return to their own habitats, but again and again, they would meet in the shadows for no one would ever love or understand them or their games, both of hearts and explosions, like they did.

**The End**


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